By His Deeds Shall Ye Know Him

Bridgeport Bound

David Lightman writes in the Hartford Courant: "Democrats are eager for President Bush to appear in Connecticut today, visualizing his embrace with Rep. Christopher Shays as just the picture they need to defeat the veteran congressman. . . .

"Bush will speak about his health savings accounts plan to about 150 people from the Bridgeport business community. Originally a part of the 2003 Medicare reform law, the plan allows people to set up tax-free accounts to use in medical emergencies.

"White House press secretary Scott McClellan described the event as a 'conversation on health savings accounts.' Participants will include a local business owner, a bank official and individuals who own health savings accounts."

I wrote in yesterday's column that Bush is putting his relevance to the test in trying to get the nation to turn its attention to the topic of health savings accounts. So far, there's no sign it's working.

Snow's Fall

Al Kamen writes in The Washington Post: "If Treasury Secretary John W. Snow doesn't know he's outta there, he might want to study President Bush's response to a reporter's question yesterday at a health-care meeting about whether Snow is 'expected to stay on.'

" 'Secretary Snow is here at the table,' Bush said. 'He's been a part of this discussion.' [Note past tense.] 'I'm glad you brought him up.' [No doubt.] 'He has been a valuable member of my administration [Past tense again.], and I trust his judgment and appreciate his service. [It's been great.]' "

Snow is apparently getting the message.

Elisabeth Bumiller writes in the New York Times: "Treasury Secretary John W. Snow has expressed interest in leaving his job in the next several months, a person close to him said Tuesday, as speculation raced through Washington that the White House was seeking Mr. Snow's replacement."

But Bumiller notes that Bush may have a hard time filling the job, "which in this White House has not been the powerhouse position it was when Robert E. Rubin held it under President Bill Clinton.

"Mr. Bush's Treasury secretaries -- Paul H. O'Neill, the former chief executive of Alcoa, was Mr. Snow's predecessor -- have not had their own voices on economic matters and have been effectively subordinate to Karl Rove, the president's political adviser and deputy chief of staff."

Caroline Daniel and Edward Alden write in the Financial Times: " 'No A-grade person on Wall Street will go for this, given the state of the administration,' a Wall Street Republican said."

End of an Era?

David S. Broder writes in his Washington Post opinion column: "Symbolically as well as practically, the departure of Tom DeLay from Congress signals the end of an era of Republican dominance. . . .

"The old game of muscling bills through by rounding up Republican votes through a combination of political and financial force -- the game at which Tom DeLay excelled -- is over. The question for the White House is whether it can come up with a different strategy that looks for support from at least some Democrats."

Bush's Worst Nightmare

Deb Price writes in the Detroit News: "As Republican election-year woes increase, symbolized powerfully Tuesday by the resignation from Congress of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, President Bush's worst political nightmare might be summed up by four words: Judiciary Chairman John Conyers.

"If Democrats can capitalize on a string of GOP setbacks and regain control of the House this November, Conyers would be named chairman, putting the enormous investigative power that goes with the job into the hands of one of Bush's fiercest critics. But even with the House still under Republican control, the maverick Detroit Democrat known for championing liberal causes can no longer be written off by the Bush administration as just a pesky gnat.

"The 21-term Michigan lawmaker's persistent demands for an inquiry into whether Bush should be impeached for the way he led the nation into war have exploded into the political mainstream."

Kennedy Critique

Rick Klein writes in the Boston Globe: "In a forthcoming book, Senator Edward M. Kennedy invokes the leadership of his brothers during the Cuban missile crisis to launch a sharp new attack on President Bush, declaring that Bush should have followed the example of President John F. Kennedy and his attorney general, Robert F. Kennedy, in forging a diplomatic resolution to the standoff with Saddam Hussein."

Who Wants to Grow Up to Be President?

Dave Goldiner writes in the New York Daily News: "A new online poll conducted by Scholastic magazine says more than 80% of kids don't want to be the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth.

"Amazingly, that's a nearly total flip from 2004, when 75% of the elementary and middle school children did want to rule the roost from the White House. . . .

"Scholastic editors say they have no idea why kids' opinions have changed so dramatically about the nation's top job. They don't necessarily believe it is linked to President Bush's growing unpopularity."